Bug Catcher
by tfloosh
Summary: Agitha insists that Link bring the golden bugs to her ball, and Zelda insists on going with him to find the special critters.


Queen Zelda was concerned. Her husband was becoming more and more scarce as the week drew on. Link was just her Prince Consort, but there were expectations. He couldn't just leave her to fend for herself with the nobility. It just wasn't fair.

"Where have you been running off to lately?" Zelda finally ambushed him during breakfast.

"I, uh," Link's face immediately turned red. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Link," she fixed him with a stare, waiting for him to crack. He could never keep secrets from her.

"I'm just," he fumbled, "running errands."

"For whom?"

"Agitha."

"Oh."

Agitha was one of the noble children orphaned during the Twilight Invasion. She had a devoted staff to look after her, but it didn't surprise Zelda that Link would visit her personally. Link had an innate desire to look after children and make sure they were cared for.

"She fancies herself the princess of bugs or something," Link explained. "And she asked me to bring those really rare golden bugs to her ball since they didn't respond to her invitations."

Zelda giggled. That sounded just like Agitha.

"So I've been trying to catch them all since apparently the ball is coming up, so I've been running around Hyrule to find the last few bugs before Saturday."

"That's only two days away," Zelda frowned slightly. "You might need some help."

"No there's only three left. I can get them just fine," Link said. "It just took me forever to get the dayflies in the Gerudo desert."

"So that's why you look so tan," Zelda tweaked one of Link's pointed ears.

"Don't tease," Link laughed as he leaned away from her.

"I would like to go with you," Zelda stated as they left the dining hall. "I never get to go out and adventure like you."

"No, I can't take you away from your duties like that," Link shook his head.

"I insist," she smiled wickedly, and Link knew he was going to cave to her demands. "I can move any meetings today and reschedule any visits, and then we can sneak out and hunt for golden bugs."

"Alright," he caved. "I'll go call your secretary."

* * *

Zelda felt free riding on Epona with Link. She hadn't been out like this since their honeymoon. Every other outing was rigorously scheduled and heavily guarded, but today they were free to do as they wished.

"Was this what it was like during the invasion?" she asked as Link guided them to south Hyrule Field.

"There were more bokoblins back then," he answered. "I couldn't ride down the path without getting screamed and shot at."

"But this feeling," Zelda sighed. "Was it just as nice, this ability to go where you wanted and do what you wished?"

"When I allowed myself a break," Link laughed. "But it was a lot more rushing and anxiety than you think. Midna pushed me more than a work horse, uh, no offense." He patted Epona's neck. "It was one thing after another back then, with clearing the land of twilight to finding the fused shadow pieces. Then we had to get the Master Sword and find the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight. And you, I didn't want you to be locked in that tower any longer than you had to, and you sacrificed yourself to save Midna."

"There is freedom now," Zelda squeezed her arms around Link as he pulled Epona to a slow. "You did so much for Hyrule, you deserve some peace and freedom."

"So now you can never gripe at me for missing meetings with the nobility," he laughed as he dismounted. "I deserve my freedom from their griping."

"You can only use the 'I saved Hyrule' card once a month," she glared at him, but there was no malice in the look. Link helped her down from Epona.

"Now the best way to hunt for golden bugs is to move about quietly and listen for the chiming noise they make."

Zelda nodded, "Are we looking for any particular bug right now?"

"The beetles," he answered. "I've seen them around this area before, but they fly so quickly, I was never able to catch them."

"Anything else I should know?"

"They'll either be a glowing green or yellow," Link said as he unpacked his gear. He handed her one of his clawshots. "It's hard to catch them in your hands, so use this if they're out of reach or flying away."

"Got it."

They spent the rest of the morning searching every nook and cranny of south Hyrule Field for the golden beetles. Zelda rather triumphantly found one early in their hunt, but her loud movement scared it away. They followed the bug around until Link grew impatient and nabbed it with his clawshot.

"It won't hurt it," he said in response to Zelda's shocked expression. "I promise it's fine."

With the female beetle safe in a jar, Link and Zelda decided to break for lunch. She told her husband about everything he had missed earlier in the week while he had been out hunting bugs.

"There would have been a meeting I attended today about organizing a trooping of the colors for the anniversary of the end of the invasion, but they have kept the trooping the same for a hundred years. They don't need my input for anything."

"I can't believe it's already been five years," Link shook his head. "And it'll be a year of marriage in a couple of months."

"The best thing to come from the invasion," Zelda leaned over to kiss Link on the cheek.

"I'll always be glad I met you," he murmured back, pressing their foreheads together."

"Now those bugs won't catch themselves, will they?" she smiled and jumped to her feet.

* * *

"Oh, you made it!" Agitha smiled brightly as they walked into her 'castle' with the last of the golden bugs. "And just in time. Now the ball can begin."

Zelda gazed in wonder at all the chiming golden bugs. They seemed perfectly at home in the tree in the middle of the room.

"This is wonderful, Agitha," Zelda smiled. "I'm glad we could help all the bugs attend your ball."

"Will you stay, too?" Agitha asked with pleading eyes. "I would be honored to have you both at my ball."

Zelda glanced at Link. He was staring at her pleadingly as well.

"Of course we will stay."

Link swept up his Queen in a dance. They swayed to the melodic chimes of the golden bugs and danced with Agitha on their toes until she fell asleep on her mountain of pillows.

"Well that ball was much more fun than the ones we throw at the castle," Link said as they made their way back home.

"Maybe we should exchange the string quartet for a choir of golden bugs at the next party," Zelda smiled.

"We should," Link laughed. "Just to see all the snobby women go crazy about golden snails crawling on the floor."

Zelda laughed at the mental image of nobles jumping and screaming in a hall filled with chiming golden bugs, "Or perhaps we could simply spend more time alone."

"We could use more date nights," he nodded. "Maybe even start on that family we keep talking about."

"Yes, perhaps we could do that tonight," Zelda smiled mischievously.

"Wait, what?" Link froze in the middle of the street.

Zelda continued without him, only turning to give him a wink before racing to the castle.

"Hey, wait for me!" Link called as he chased after her.


End file.
